Sealed and/or Reinforced Flanged Ring Connector for Single- and Double-Wall HVAC Ducting

ABSTRACT

A flanged ring connector ( 50 ) for connecting adjacent ends of HVAC ducting ( 52 ) includes an insertion flange portion to engage within the interior of the ducting. A mating flange portion ( 56 ) extends laterally or transversely to the insertion flange portion ( 54 ). A seat ( 58 ) is formed along the mating flange portion ( 56 ) to receive and retain a seal ( 60 ) and/or a reinforcing member or bead ( 90 ).

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.62/111,040, filed Feb. 2, 2015, and is a continuation-in-part of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 12/953,050, filed Nov. 23, 2010, whichclaims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/264,201, filedNov. 24, 2009, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein byreference their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to flanged ring connectors for connectingsingle- or double-wall HVAC ducting of various cross-sectional shapes,such as round, oval, square, rectangular, etc., wherein the flanged ringconnector includes a “built-in” seal for sealing against a matingflanged ring connector connected to the end of an adjacent HVAC duct. Inaddition, or in alternative to the seal, the flanged ring connector maybe configured to receive a reinforcing bead or similar member toincrease the section modulus of the flanged ring connector.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Various types of joint assemblies are utilized to interconnect HVACducting of circular, oval, square, rectangular, or other cross-sectionalshapes. One type of joint assembly is in the form of a flanged ring,which is connected to the end of a duct section to present a matingflange extending transversely to the length of the duct and extendingradially or laterally from the exterior of the duct. The two matingflanges of the adjacent flanged rings may be attached together inface-to-face relationship by screws, bolts, or other hardware membersextending through the mating flanges, as well as connector rings orclips that entirely or partially encircle the exterior of the matingflanges of the adjacent flanged rings.

It is often necessary to place a gasket between the two mating flangesof the adjacent flanged rings to control or avoid leakage of air orother gases being transmitted through the ducting. Ensuring that thegasket is properly assembled with the flanged rings has beenchallenging. It is possible to glue a gasket to one or both of themating flanged rings. However, additional labor is required to glue thegasket to the mating flange. In addition, during transport or assemblythe gasket material may become damaged or become detached from themating flange.

Also, in large-diameter HVAC ducting, the flanged rings are often notsufficiently stiff to create a satisfactory joint between the HVAC ductsections. The flanged rings can be manufactured from thicker gaugematerial, but doing so increases the cost of the flanged rings, andincreases the weight of the flanged rings, as well as increasing thedifficulty in forming the flanged rings into desired shapes. As such,efforts have been made to produce flanged rings with exterior hems andreturns to increase the section modulus of the flanged rings. However,other alternatives for reinforcing or increasing the strength andrigidity of flanged rings are desirable.

SUMMARY

A flanged ring connector to join HVAC ducting includes a first matingflange defining a first mating face, the first mating flange having anouter perimeter portion and an inner perimeter portion. A firstinsertion flange extends laterally from the inner perimeter portion ofthe first mating flange. The first insertion flange is of sufficientlength to allow fixed attachment to the HVAC duct. A first formed seatextends along the first mating flange. The seat is sized and shaped toreceive either a seal disposed within the first seat to project from thefirst seat beyond the first mating face, and/or a reinforcing memberdisposed within the first seat to increase the structural integrity ofthe flanged ring connector.

The flanged ring may include a second seat formed in the insertionflange to receive a second seal for bearing against the HVAC duct. Thesecond seat may be at least partially open to enable the second seal toproject from the insertion flange toward the HVAC duct.

In accordance with the present disclosure, the first and/or second seatcan be selected from various cross-sectional shapes, for example,square, polygonal, oblong, rectangular, circular, partially circular,quarter-circular, semicircular, elliptical, oval, triangular,frusto-triangular, and V-shaped.

The flanged ring connector may include a second mating flange defining asecond mating face. The second mating flange defines an outer perimeterportion and an inner perimeter portion. A second insertion flangeextends laterally from the inner perimeter portion of the second matingflange a sufficient distance to allow attachment of the second insertionflange to a duct of a double-wall HVAC duct.

A second mating flange is disposed within the inner perimeter portion ofthe first mating flange. In addition, the first and second mating flangefaces are substantially coplanar to each other.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present disclosure, the firstseat may extend along the outer perimeter portion of the first matingflange. Alternatively, the first seat may extend along the first matingflange at a location intermediate the outer perimeter portion and theinner perimeter portion of the first mating flange.

In a further aspect of the present disclosure, a flanged ring connectoris provided to join double-wall ducts of HVAC systems. The double-wallducts have an outer duct and a separate inner duct disposed within theouter duct. The flanged ring connector includes a mating flange defininga mating face, the mating flange having an outer perimeter portion andan inner perimeter portion. A first inner insertion flange extendslaterally from the inner perimeter of the mating flange for sufficientdistance to allow attachment to the inner duct of the double-wall duct.A second, outer insertion flange extends laterally from the matingflange at the location between the inner and outer perimeters of themating flange. The outer insertion flange has a sufficient length forattachment to the outer duct of the double-wall duct. A first formedseat extends along the mating flange, with the seat sized and shaped toreceive one or both of a first seal to project from the first seatoutwardly of the mating face and a reinforcing member to increase thesection modulus of the flanged ring connector.

In accordance with a further aspect of the present disclosure, the firstformed seat may be at different positions relative to the mating flange.For example, the first formed seat may extend along the outer perimeterof the mating flange. Alternatively, the first formed seat may extendalong the mating flange at a location intermediate the outer perimeterportion and inner perimeter portion of the mating flange.

Various methods may be utilized to form a flanged ring connector forinner connecting ducts in an HVAC system. The flanged ring connectorincludes a mating flange with an outside perimeter portion and an insideperimeter portion. At least one insertion flange extends laterally fromthe mating flange for connection to the HVAC ducting. A seat extendsalong the mating flange to receive one or both a seal and a reinforcingmember. A method of forming the flanged ring connector begins with acylindrical metal band having an outward surface and an inward surface.The metal band is deformed by applying pressure against the interiorsurface of the metal band at a location intermediate the ends of themetal band, thereby to deform the metal band to form a mating flangeportion extending laterally outwardly from the metal band. Theundeformed portion of the metal band functions as an insertion flange.The mating flange portion is further deformed to define a seat locatedalong the mating flange. The seat is shaped to receive a seal to projectfrom the seat in a direction opposite to the direction that theinsertion flange extends from the mating flange, and/or a reinforcingmember to increase the section modulus of the flanged ring connector.One or more of the foregoing deforming steps may be carried out byspin-forming, roll-forming, bending, stamping, and/or punching theworkpiece.

As a further aspect of the present invention, the flanged ring connectorcan be formed beginning with a workpiece in the form of a strip. Themating flange and seat are formed in and along the longitudinal strip.Thereafter, the partially formed workpiece is formed into a closed ringconfiguration to match the cross-sectional shape of the HVAC ducting.The formed ring configuration includes a mating flange, at least oneinsertion flange extending laterally from the mating flange, and a seatextending along the mating flange. One or more of the forming steps canbe carried out by spin-forming, roll-forming, bending, stamping, and/orpunching. The closed ring is shaped to match the shape of the HVACducting, and therefore can be round, oval, ovoid, square, rectangular,rectilinear, or triangular.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing aspects and many of the attendant advantages of thisinvention will become more readily appreciated as the same become betterunderstood by reference to the following detailed description, whentaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGS. 1 and 3-10 illustrate, in partial cross-section, variousconfigurations of flanged ring connectors corresponding to the presentdisclosure, shown in face-to-face relationship to each other, with sealmembers of various exemplary shapes;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the flanged ring connector of FIG. 1,shown in conjunction with HVAC ducts;

FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate, in partial cross-section, pairs of flangedring connectors wherein the insertion flange is formed to define anabutment for the end portions of the duct sections being attachedtogether;

FIGS. 13-19 illustrate, in partial cross-section, pairs of flanged ringconnectors corresponding to the present disclosure, utilizing a secondseal for sealing the flanged ring against the inner wall of the ductsections being attached together;

FIGS. 20-24 illustrate pairs of flanged ring connectors whereinreinforcing beads or members are positioned within seats formed in themating flanges of the connectors;

FIGS. 25 and 26 are similar to FIG. 20, but illustrate abutments formedin the insertion flanges, similar to FIGS. 11 and 12;

FIG. 27 illustrates, in partial cross-section, a pair of flanged ringconnectors utilizing seal members and reinforcing members;

FIGS. 28, 29, and 31-37 illustrate, in partial cross-section, pairs offlanged ring connectors for interconnecting double-wall HVAC ducting,wherein seats are formed along the exterior of the mating flanges forreceiving seal members, with the understanding that the seats caninstead, or in addition, receive reinforcing members to increase thesection modulus of the flanged ring connectors;

FIGS. 38 and 39 illustrate, in partial cross-section, pairs of flangedring connectors for interconnecting double-wall HVAC ducting, with theseal members for sealing the flanged ring connectors extending along asignificant portion of the height of the mating flange faces;

FIG. 30 is an isometric view of the flanged ring connector of FIG. 29,shown in conjunction with rectilinear, double-wall HVAC ducting;

FIGS. 40A-40E illustrate one method of forming the flanged ringconnectors of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 41A-41C illustrate another method of manufacturing the flangedring connectors of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 42A-42D illustrate a further method of manufacturing the flangedring connectors of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 43A-43D illustrate a further method of manufacturing the flangedring connectors of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 44A-44D illustrate a further method of manufacturing the flangedring connectors of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 45A-45C illustrate a further method of manufacturing the flangedring connectors of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 46A-46D illustrate a further method of manufacturing the flangedring connectors of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 47A-47E illustrate a further method of manufacturing the flangedring connectors of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 48A-48C illustrate a further method of manufacturing the flangedring connectors of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 49A and 49B illustrate a clamp that can be utilized tointerconnect face-to-face flanged ring connectors of the presentdisclosure; and

FIGS. 50, 51, and 52 illustrate, in partial cross-section, variousconfigurations of flanged ring connectors corresponding to the presentdisclosure, shown in face-to-face relationship to each other, with sealmembers of various exemplary shapes.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appendeddrawings, where like numerals reference like elements, is intended as adescription of various embodiments of the disclosed subject matter andis not intended to represent the only embodiments. Each embodimentdescribed in this disclosure is provided merely as an example orillustration and should not be construed as preferred or advantageousover other embodiments. The illustrative examples provided herein arenot intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the preciseforms disclosed. Similarly, any steps described herein may beinterchangeable with other steps, or combinations of steps, in order toachieve the same or substantially similar result.

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth inorder to provide a thorough understanding of exemplary embodiments ofthe present disclosure. It will be apparent to one skilled in the art,however, that many embodiments of the present disclosure may bepracticed without some or all of the specific details. In someinstances, well-known process steps have not been described in detail inorder not to unnecessarily obscure various aspects of the presentdisclosure. Further, it will be appreciated that embodiments of thepresent disclosure may employ any combination of features describedherein.

The present application includes references to directions, such as“forward,” “rearward,” “upward,” “downward,” “outward,” “inward,”“extended,” “advanced,” and “retracted.” These references and othersimilar references in the present application are only to assist inhelping describe and understand the present invention and are notintended to limit the present invention to these directions. Also,references to “work product,” “workpiece,” “food product,” “food piece,”and “portion” are understood to be interchangeable and are not meant tobe limiting in nature.

In the following description, various embodiments of the presentdisclosure are described. In the following description and in theaccompanying drawings, the corresponding systems assemblies, apparatus,and units are identified by the same part number but with an alphasuffix with a prime (′), double prime (″), or triple prime (′″), orsimilar designation. The descriptions of the parts/components of suchconnectors, systems, assemblies, apparatus, and units that are the sameor similar are not repeated so as to avoid redundancy in the presentapplication.

FIGS. 1-19 pertain to various embodiments of flanged connector rings 50for connecting adjacent ends of HVAC ducting 52. The flanged ringconnectors 50 are similar in that they include an insertion flangeportion 54 to engage within the interior of the duct 52 and are of ashape corresponding to the cross-sectional shape of the duct 52. Theflanged ring connectors 50 also include a mating flange portion 56extending laterally or transversely to the insertion flange portion 54.A seat 58 is formed along the mating flange portion 56 to receive andretain a seal 60. The seat 58 is shown as extending along the outerperimeter portion of the mating flange portion 56, but need not be atsuch location. For example, the seat can be located inward of the outerperimeter of the mating flange portion.

The flanged ring connectors 50, shown in FIGS. 1-19, are labeled asflanged rings 50A-50R. Also, the corresponding components or sections ofthe flanged rings of FIGS. 1-19 are identified by the same part number,but with an alpha suffix, from A through R.

As shown in FIGS. 1-19, the seat 58 can be of various configurationscorresponding to the shape of seal 60. For example, in FIG. 1, the seat58A is rectangular in cross-sectional shape to receive rectangularlyshaped seal member 60A therein. The seal members 60A extend forwardlyfrom the forward faces of the mating flanges 56A to press against thecorresponding seal 60A of the opposite flanged ring connector 50A. Theseal member 60A, as well as the other similar seals disclosed anddiscussed herein, can be of various material compositions. For example,the seal may be composed of natural or synthetic rubber material thatmay be of solid construction or of foam construction, or of hollow orsemi-hollow construction. The seal will need to be at least somewhatcompressible so that the mating flanges can be connected together insecure face-to-face relationship to each other, with the compressed sealforming an airtight juncture between the mating flanges.

FIG. 2 is an isometric view showing the flange connector 50A assembledwith the adjacent end portions of duct sections 52. The duct 52 isillustrated as being of single-wall, circular construction. However, theduct can be of other cross-sectional shapes, including square,rectangular, oval, triangular, etc. Further, as discussed below, theducting can be of double-wall or even triple-wall construction inaccordance with the present disclosure. The mating flanges 56A can beattached together by various techniques, including by screws, bolts, orother types of hardware. Also, clips can extend over and at leastpartially around the seats 58A of adjacent connectors 50A to lock themating flanges in face-to-face relationship to each other.Alternatively, a band clamp may be used to extend around a perimeter ofthe seat portions of the flanged connectors, thereby to hold the matingflanges 56A in face-to-face contact with each other.

Regarding flanged connector ring 50B, shown in FIG. 3, a seal 60B isshaped to have a semicircular or rounded base and a “square” faceextending beyond flanged ring face 56B. The seat 58B is formed tocorrespond to the shape of the seal 60B.

The flanged ring 50C, shown in FIG. 4, includes a generally righttriangularly shaped seal 60C, with the base of the seal projectingforwardly of the forward face of the mating flange portion 56C. The tipof the seal 60C is positioned at the bottom or base of the triangularlyshaped seat 58C.

Referring to the flanged ring connector 50D of FIG. 5, the seal 60D isalso of triangular shape, but with the triangle being of symmetricalcross-section as opposed to a right angle cross-section as shown in FIG.4. The seat 58D is shaped to correspond to the shape of the seal 60D.

Referring to the flanged ring connector 50E shown in FIG. 6, the seal60E is in the form of a truncated triangle, again with the base of thetriangle projecting forwardly of the mating flange portion 56E. The seat58E corresponds to the shape of a seal 60E.

Referring to FIG. 7, the seal 60F shown therein is similar to the seal60A shown in FIGS. 1 and 2; however, the seat 58F is constructed with ahem section 62 at the exterior of the seat 58F, thereby to provideadditional structural integrity for the flanged connector 60F. The useof a hem, for example, similar to hem 62, is not limited to theembodiment of the present disclosure shown in FIG. 7, but may beutilized in other embodiments of the present disclosure described inthis application.

Referring to FIG. 8, the seal 60G includes a generally ovoid-shaped basesection 64 and a leg section 66 extending outwardly from the basesection. The base section 64 is retained within seat 58G so that the legsection 66 can project forwardly of the forward face of the matingflange portion 56G. It is to be understood that the leg section 66 canextend inwardly rather than outwardly, as shown in FIG. 8. Also, the legsection can extend both inwardly and outwardly.

Referring to FIG. 9, the seal 60H is constructed with a stem portion 68and a forward head portion 70. The stem portion 68 is sized to beretained within seat 58H. The head portion 70 is in the shape of apartial circle, with a rounded forward surface that projects forwardlyof the forward face of the mating flange portion 56H. It is to beunderstood that the head portion 70 of the seal 60H can be of othershapes, such as square, rectangular, triangular, oval, elliptical, etc.

Referring to FIG. 10, the seal 60I is in the form of a quarter-circlehaving a curved outer surface intersecting with the flat base portion 71and a flat face 73 extending transversely to the base portion 71 of theseal. The face portion 73 of the seal projects forwardly from theforward surface of the mating flange portion 561 of the flangedconnector 501. The seat 581 is shaped to correspond to the shape of theseal 60I.

FIG. 11 illustrates a flanged ring connector 50J that is similar inconstruction to the flanged ring connector 50A, described above, butwith the insertion flange 54J disposed to the exterior of HVAC duct 52.A “dogleg” or offset bend 72 is formed in the insertion flange so thatthe portion of the insertion flange between the mating flange 56J andthe end of the duct 52 is substantially flush with the inside surface ofthe duct 52. The dogleg bend forms an abutment 74 for serving as a stopfor the end of duct 52.

FIG. 12 also illustrates a flanged ring connector 50K that is similar inconstruction to the flanged ring connector 50A, described above, butwith insertion flange 54K formed with a curved abutment or bead 76projecting outwardly or laterally from the insertion flange. Theabutment or bead 76 serves as a stop for the end of the duct 52.

FIGS. 13-19 illustrate flanged connectors 50L-50R having a second sealmember 80 held within a seat 82 formed in the insertion flange 54. Thesecond seal member 80 seals against the inside diameter of the HVACducting 52. The seal 80 can be held within seat 82 by use of anadhesive, by tension, or by other means.

Referring to FIG. 13, the flanged connector 50L is constructed similarlyto flanged connector 50A, but with a generally curved or semicircularshaped seat 82L formed in the insertion flange portion 54L. The seat 82Lis sized and shaped to receive a seal 80L that projects from the seat82L to bear against the inside surface of duct 52. This helps to providea seal between the flanged connector 50L and the duct 52.

Referring to FIG. 14, the flanged ring connector 50M is similar to theflanged ring connector 50L shown in FIG. 13, but with the seal 80M beinggenerally rectangular in cross-sectional shape. Correspondingly, theseat 82M is shaped to match the shape of the seal 80M.

Referring to FIG. 15, the flanged ring connector 50N shown therein issimilar to the flanged ring connector 50L, but with the seal 80N havinga generally triangular cross-section rather than the semicircularcross-section used with flanged connector 50L. Correspondingly, the seat82N is formed in a shape to match the cross-sectional shape of seal 80N.

Referring to FIG. 16, the flanged connector 50O utilizes a second seal80O that is similar in shape to seal 80M shown in FIG. 14 but with agreater width, which may be desirable in situations in which the ducting52 is used in conjunction with higher pressures. The seat 82O is shapedand sized to match the shape and size of the second seal 80O.

FIGS. 17-19 illustrate flanged ring connectors 50P, 50Q, and 50R, eachwith a second seal 80P, 80Q, and 80R of a specific cross-sectionalshape, and each with a seat 82P, 82Q, and 82R of a shape to match thecorresponding seal. In FIG. 17 the seal 80P is generally rectilinear,with one end being “square” and the opposite end (toward mating flangeportion 56P) being sloped. The second seal 80Q is shaped somewhatoppositely to that of seal 80P in that the end of the seal closest tothe mating flange 56Q is “square,” whereas the opposite end of the sealis rounded. The seal 80R shown in FIG. 19 is shaped generally in theform of a right triangle, with the base portion of the triangle formingthe end of the seal located closer to the mating flange portion 56R.

FIGS. 20-26 illustrate flanged ring connectors 50S-50Y adapted toreceive reinforcing members 90, which may be in the form of solidmetallic beads, or similar members captured within a closed orsubstantially closed seat 58 formed in the mating flange 56. It will beappreciated that the reinforcing member 90 serves to increase thesection modulus of the flanged ring connector, thereby to improve itsstructural integrity, strength, and stiffness. As with seat 58 shown inFIGS. 1-19, the seat 58 shown in FIGS. 20-26 can extend around the outerperimeter portion of mating flange 56, or can be inward of the outerperimeter portion.

Referring to FIG. 20, the reinforcing member/bead 90S is generallyrectangular in shape and substantially enclosed within a seat 58S. As inthe other flanged ring connectors described above, flanged ringconnector 50S includes an annular mating flange portion 56S and aninsertion flange portion 54S.

FIGS. 21-24 illustrate flanged ring connectors 50T, 50U, 50V, and 50W,each constructed similarly to flanged ring connector 50S but with thereinforcing members 90T, 90U, 90V, and 90W of various shapes. Forexample, in FIG. 21 the flanged connector 50T utilizes a reinforcingmember 90T that is generally oval in shape, but could also be circularor elliptical in shape. In the flanged ring connector 50U thereinforcing member 90U is in the form of a right triangle, whereas inflanged ring connector 50V the reinforcing member 90V is in the shape ofa symmetrical triangle. The reinforcing member 90W of flanged ringconnector 50W is in the form of a truncated triangle. Of course, thereinforcing member 90 can be of shapes other than those illustrated ordescribed above. Moreover, the reinforcing member can be composed ofvarious materials, for instance, a high modulus metallic material suchas steel or a steel alloy.

FIGS. 25 and 26 illustrate flanged ring connectors 50X and 50Y havinginsertion flanges 54X and 54Y corresponding to the insertion flanges 54Jand 54K, described above. As shown in FIG. 25, the insertion flange 54Xis disposed to the exterior of HVAC duct 52. A “dogleg” or offset bend72X is formed in the insertion flange so that the portion of theinsertion flange between the mating flange 52X and the distal end of theduct 52 is substantially flush with the inside surface of the duct 52.In addition, the dogleg bend forms an abutment 74X for serving as a stopfor the end of duct 52.

In FIG. 26 the insertion flange 54Y is formed with a curved abutment orbead 76Y projecting outwardly or laterally from the insertion flange.The abutment or bead 76Y serves as a stop for the adjacent end portionof the duct 52.

The present disclosure contemplates utilizing both a reinforcing member90 and a seal member 60 within a seat 58 formed along the perimeterportion of a mating flange 56. In this regard, as shown in FIG. 27, areinforcing member 90Z can be located at the base of the seat 58Z whilea seal member 60Z may be positioned against the reinforcing member 90Zto project from the seat 58Z forwardly of the front surface of themating flange 56Z of the flanged ring connector 50Z. Of course,reinforcing members 90 and seal members 60 can be of other shapes, withthe seat 58 configured accordingly.

FIGS. 28-39 illustrate another aspect of the present disclosure, whereina flanged ring connector 150 is utilized in conjunction with adouble-wall HVAC duct system 151. The HVAC duct 151 includes an outerwall 152 and an inner wall 154 separated by insulation or similarmaterial 156. The flanged ring connector 150 includes a first outerinsertion flange 160 sized to overlap the inside diameter of duct outerwall 152. An outer mating flange 162 extends transversely, laterallyfrom the outer insertion flange 160. A formed seat 164 extends along theouter mating flange 162, and is shaped to receive a seal member 166therein. As in the prior embodiments of the present disclosure, the sealmember 166 can project forwardly from the front surface of the outermating flange 162. Also, the seat 164 can be of various shapes; forexample, as shown in FIGS. 1-9 above. Although the seat 164 is shown toextend around the outer perimeter portion of the mating flange 162, theseat can be located inward of the outer perimeter of the mating flange.

The flanged connector 150 also includes an inner mating flange portion170 and an inner insertion flange portion 172 that overlaps the innersurface of the inner duct 154. The inner mating flange 170 is preferablycoplanar with the outer insertion flange 160. However, as shown in FIGS.31 and 32, the inner mating flange 126 may overlap the outer matingflange 162 or, as shown in FIGS. 37 and 39, the outer mating flange 162may overlap the inner mating flange 126. It is to be appreciated thatthe inner mating flange 170 may be attached to the outer mating flange162 and/or outer insertion flange 160 in any known manner, including byweldments.

It is also to be appreciated that the inner insertion flanges 172 may beformed to receive a second seal in the manner of FIGS. 13-19 above.Moreover, the seats 164 in the flanged ring connectors shown in FIGS.28-39 may be adapted to receive a reinforcing member, for example, asshown in FIGS. 20-26. Also, as discussed above, the seats 164 may beadapted to receive both a reinforcing member and a seal member.

Referring to FIG. 28, the double-wall flanged ring connector 150A isconstructed in the manner described above, generally with respect to theembodiments of the present disclosure shown in FIGS. 28-39. In theconnector 150A, as well as in the connectors 150B-150K, the seal members166A-166K are illustrated as of a generally rectangular cross-section.However, such seal members may be in other cross-sectional shapes, asdescribed above.

Also, in the connector 150A, shown in FIG. 28, a return section 176Aextends parallel to the outer insertion flange 160A to overlap theinside surface of the outer insertion flange, thereby increasing thestrength of the flanged ring connector. In the flanged ring connector150B, shown in FIG. 29, the inter-mating flange 170 intersects with thecorner formed by the outer mating flange 162B and outer insertion flange160B.

FIG. 30 is an isometric view of flanged ring connectors 150B utilized tointerconnect the adjacent ends of double-wall ducts 151B. Although thedouble-wall ducts 151B are shown as being of a rectangularcross-section, the flanged ring connectors 150 can be utilized withdouble-wall ducts of other cross-sectional shapes, including, forexample, round, oval, square, triangular, etc. Also, the size or widthof the outer mating flange 162B can be varied depending on variousfactors, such as the size of the ducting, the pressure required to becarried by the ducting, the thickness of the material comprising theducting, etc.

Referring to FIGS. 31 and 32, the inner mating flanges 170C and 170Doverlap a portion of the outer mating flanges 162C and 162D so as toimprove the strength and stiffness of the mating flange portion of theconnectors 150C and 260D. In FIG. 31, the inner mating flange 170Csimply overlaps the corresponding outer mating flange 162C. In FIG. 32,on the other hand, the inner portion 178D of the outer mating flange162D is slightly offset in the region of the overlapping inner matingflange 170D so that the outer and inner mating flanges form a coplanaroutward or forward surface or face.

Referring to FIG. 33, the outer end portion of the inner mating flange170E is formed into a circle or bead 180E, thereby to reinforce theinner mating flange at this location. The bead 180E is shown assubstantially circular in shape, but of course beads of othercross-sectional shapes may also be utilized.

Referring to FIG. 34, the double-wall flanged ring connector 150F isconstructed with a return section 176F formed in the outer perimeterportion of the inner mating flange 170F. In addition, a hem portion 182Foverlaps the underside of the return portion 176F, thereby to provideadditional structural integrity and strength to the double-wall flangedring connector 150F.

Referring to FIG. 35, in the illustrated flanged ring connector 150G theouter insertion flange 160G is illustrated as integrally formed with theinner mating flange 170G rather than constructed with the outer matingflange 162G. As such, the inner perimeter of the outer mating flange162G is attached to the corner defined by the inner mating flange 170and the outer insertion flange 160G.

Referring to FIG. 36, the flanged wall connector 150H shown therein issimilar to the flanged wall connector 50G described above, but with areinforcing flange 184H formed in the inside perimeter of the outermating flange 162H to overlap the exterior of the outer insertion flange160H, which is constructed integrally with the inner mating flange 170Hin the manner similar to that shown in FIG. 35.

Referring to FIG. 37, the double-wall flanged ring connector 150I isconstructed similarly to the flanged ring connector 150G shown in FIG.35. However, in the flanged ring connector 150I, the outer mating flange162I overlaps the inner mating flange 170I.

Referring to FIG. 38, a double-wall flanged ring connector 50J isconstructed similarly to the flanged ring connector 50G shown in FIG.35, but with the seal member 166J extending along the mating flange 162Jbetween the inner and outer perimeters of the mating flange. In thisregard, a longitudinal seat 164J is formed in the mating flange portion162J to receive a seal 166J that extends along a substantial portion ofthe width of the mating flange. The other aspects of the flanged ringconnector 150J shown in FIG. 38 are similar to those of FIG. 135, andthus such aspects of the flanged ring connector 150J will not berepeated here. It will be appreciated that, by the construction of theflanged ring connector 150J shown in FIG. 38, a substantial sealing areais provided.

Referring to FIG. 39, a flanged ring connector 150K is constructed as amodified version of the flanged ring connector 150I shown in FIG. 37.The flanged ring connector 150K is constructed with a different matingflange section than in FIG. 37, wherein a substantial portion of themating flange serves as a seat for receiving a relatively wide (in theradial or outward direction) seal 186K to seal against a mating seal186K of the opposite flanged ring connector. In addition, a seat 164K isformed in the outer perimeter portion of the mating flange portion 162Kto receive a reinforcing member 166K, which may be of a composition thesame or similar to the reinforcing rings/beads 90, discussed above. Itwill be appreciated that the construction of the flanged ring connector150K, shown in FIG. 39, results in a relatively large seal area as wellas providing a reinforced flanged ring connector. The aspects of theflanged ring connector 150K that are the same or similar to the flangedring connector 150I will not be described here, to avoid duplication.

It is to be understood that the configuration of the mating flanges 162Jof flanged ring connector 150J and mating flange 162K of flanged ringconnector 150K could be incorporated into the other flanged ringconnectors described above, including flanged ring connectors forsingle-wall and multiple-wall ducting.

The ducts 151 shown in FIGS. 28-39 may be of various cross-sectionalshapes, such as round, oval, square, rectangular, triangular, etc.

The flanged ring connectors of the present disclosure can bemanufactured by different techniques, as described more fully below. Theflanged ring connectors of the present disclosure may be manufacturedsolely by spin-forming, solely by roll-forming, solely by stamping, orby a combination thereof. Also, the starting work material for theflanged connector may be composed of strip stock that is first formedinto a ring and then the profile of the flanged connector formedtherein. Alternatively, the profile for the flanged connector could befirst formed into the strip stock and then the strip stock formed into aring to match the cross-sectional shape of the HVAC ducting. Further,the beginning workpiece may be annular in shape, with the profile of theflanged ring connector stamped therein. As a further alternative, thework material may be a square or circular sheet, wherein a stampingprocess is utilized whereby several flanged ring connectors are stampedout of the workpiece at the same time, each of various sizes so that theflanged ring connectors are nested, one within the other. The followingdescription provides some examples of forming flanged ring connectors inaccordance with the present disclosure.

FIGS. 40A-40E illustrate one manner of forming flanged ring connectorsaccording to the present disclosure. In FIG. 40A, a round collar-shapedworkpiece 200 is held within a spin die 202 so that a portion 204 of theworkpiece 200 extends beyond the forward face 206 of the spin die. Suchprojecting portion 204 of the workpiece 200 is bent or turned outwardlyagainst the forward face 206 by a tool 208 while the workpiece isspinning within the spin die 202. Thereafter, the same tool 208, or adifferent tool, is used to form the workpiece against the outerperimeter 210 of the die 202, and then with the tool 208 pressed againstthe formed return portion 212, a second tool 214 pushes upwardly againstthe underside of the return 212, as shown in FIGS. 40B and 40C. As shownin FIG. 40C, a second die member 216 can overlie the return section 212so that the tool 214 presses against the end 218 of the die member 216to form the base of the seat 58. The seat 58 is completed by tool 214 ora different tool 222, pressing downwardly against the workpiece to pressthe workpiece against the outer surface of the die 216, thereby tocomplete the generally rectangularly shaped seat 58. Rather than using asecond die member 216, a tool with a roller at its end can be positionedso that the perimeter of the roller portion is located where the end 218of the die is located.

The collar-shaped workpiece 200 can be formed from flat stock bynumerous techniques, including roll forming (see FIG. 43A) or stamping,for example.

A second method of forming the flanged ring connector 50 is shown inFIGS. 41A-41C, wherein a workpiece 230 is formed with an insertionflange 54 and a mating flange 56 at right angles to each other. Theworkpiece 230 can be formed in this configuration in numerous ways,including by spin-forming (as shown in FIG. 40A), roll-forming,stamping, etc. As shown in FIG. 41B, the outer portion of the matingflange section 56 is disposed adjacent a female roller 238 under a maleroller 240. The roller 238 includes a U-shaped cavity 242 into which themale roller 240 presses the outer portion of the mating flange 56 toform a seat 58 that may receive either a seal member and/or areinforcing member. Although the seat 58 is shown in FIG. 41C as beingof a rectangular cross-sectional shape, the seat can be in numerousother shapes, as discussed herein.

A further method of producing a flanged ring connector according to thepresent disclosure is shown in FIGS. 42A-42D. In FIG. 42A, a workpiecein the form of a longitudinal strip member 250 is placed against astamping die 252 to form a U-shaped seat 58 by stamping the seat withdie members 252 and 256. Thereafter, the formed strip stock islongitudinally bent to form an insertion flange portion 54 that istransverse to a mating flange 56, thereby resulting in the shape shownin FIG. 42C. The strip stock is next formed into a circular shape byutilizing a roll-forming apparatus 262, shown in FIG. 42D. Suchapparatus includes roller sets 264-272 that are positioned so as toprogressively increase the curvature of the formed longitudinal stripstock to result in a round flanged ring connector 50.

Rather than forming a round flanged ring connector, the semi-formedworkpiece 250 of FIG. 42C can be drawn or bent around a mandrel that maybe circular in shape but can be of other shapes, for example,rectangular, square, oval, etc. Moreover, rather than being drawn arounda mandrel, the formed strip of FIG. 42C may be bent to form corners in astamping machine or other bending apparatus, for example, as shown inFIGS. 84-91 of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/952,907, the entiretyof which is incorporated herein by reference. Also incorporated byreference herein is the entirety of co-pending U.S. application Ser. No.12/953,050, as well as U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,163,030 and 7,743,504,pertaining to flanged ring connectors and methods of manufacturingflanged ring connectors.

Another method of producing a flanged ring connector according to thepresent disclosure is illustrated in FIGS. 43A-43D. As shown in FIG.43A, a workpiece initially in the form of a strip stock 280 is formedinto a circular collar by roll-forming using a roll-forming apparatus282. The apparatus 282 includes roller pairs 284, 286, 288, 290, and 292that progressively increase the curvature of the workpiece so as to formthe strip stock into a substantially round collar form. The formedcollar 294, shown in FIG. 43B, is further roll-formed to create a matingflange portion 56, which is disposed transversely outwardly from theworkpiece 294, which functions as the insertion flange portion 54 of theflanged ring connector. The mating flange portion 56 is formed byrollers 298 and 300, which hold the workpiece 294 in place while a thirdroller 302 rotates and moves in the direction of arrow 304 to form themating flange portion 296. Thereafter, a seat 58 is formed by rollers238 and 240 in the manner discussed above with respect to FIG. 41B. Theresulting flanged ring connector 50 is illustrated in FIG. 43D.

Another method of forming a flanged ring connector 50 is illustrated inFIGS. 44A-44D. Referring to FIG. 44A, strip stock 280′ is formed into acircular collar utilizing a roll form apparatus 282′ that may be similaror the same as roll-forming unit 282 shown in FIG. 43A. The circularcollar produced by roll-forming unit 282′ is then further processed by asecond roll-forming unit shown in FIG. 44B that may be the same orsimilar to the roll-former shown in FIG. 43B. Accordingly, the partnumbers for the roll-forming units shown in FIGS. 44A and 44B areidentified with the same part numbers as in FIGS. 43A and 43B but withthe addition of the prime (′) designation.

When the roll-forming operation in FIG. 44B is completed, the workpieceincludes an insertion flange 54 and a flat mating flange 56, as shown inFIG. 44C. The seat 58 is formed in the mating flange 56 by a stampingprocess composed of a circular lower female die 310 having the U-shapedgroove 312 formed therein, corresponding to the exterior shape of seat58 to be formed in the mating flange portion 56. An upper male die 314includes a male insertion portion 316, which is pressed downwardly intothe groove 312, thereby to deform the mating face portion 56 to formseat 58, as shown in FIG. 44D.

Another method of forming flanged ring connector 50 is shown in FIGS.45A-45C. Referring to FIG. 45A, the process begins with a collar-shapedworkpiece 320, which can be formed by spin-forming, roll-forming, orstamping, etc., as described above. The collar-shaped workpiece is thenplaced within a spin die 202′, shown in FIG. 45A, so as to form a matingflange portion 56 of the flanged ring connector 50. This procedure maybe the same as shown in FIG. 40A above. Accordingly, the part numbersutilized in FIG. 45A for the spin die are the same as in FIG. 40A butwith the addition of a double prime (″) designation.

Thereafter, the workpiece 320 is placed within a press die set, shown inFIG. 45B, which may be similar or the same as that shown in FIG. 44C.Accordingly, the components of the die set shown in FIG. 45B arenumbered the same as in FIG. 44C but with a double prime (″)designation. The resulting flanged connector 50 is shown in FIG. 45C.

A further method of forming flanged ring connector 50 is illustrated inFIGS. 46A-46D, wherein a workpiece in the form of a longitudinal stripstock 330 is processed with a roll-forming set composed of a firstroller 332 having a groove 334 formed therein, corresponding to theexterior shape of seat 58. A male roller 336 engages with the groove 334to form the seat 58. Sequentially or simultaneously, a second roller 338may be utilized to bend the workpiece 330 about edge 340 of the roller332, thereby to form the insertion flange portion 54 of the connector50. Thereafter, the formed longitudinal workpiece is rolled into acircular configuration utilizing roller set 262″, shown in FIG. 46D. Theroller set 262″ may be the same or similar to roller set 262, shown inFIG. 42D. As such, the components of the roller set 262″ are identifiedwith the same part numbers as used in FIG. 42D but with a triple prime(′″) designation.

FIGS. 47A-47E illustrate a further method of forming flanged ringconnector 360 having a cross-sectional shape similar to flanged ringconnector 350, but for use with square ducting. As in the method shownin FIGS. 46A-46D, workpiece 360 is formed into the cross-sectional shapeshown in FIG. 46C utilizing the roller set system shown in FIG. 47B,which may be the same as shown in FIG. 46B. Accordingly, the same partnumbers for the same components are utilized. As shown in FIG. 47C, theformed workpiece includes an insertion flange portion 362, a matingflange portion 364, and a seat portion 366.

As can be appreciated, the workpiece shown in FIG. 47C is still in theform of a longitudinal straight workpiece. As shown in FIG. 47D, notches368 are cut in the workpiece either after forming the workpiece, asshown in FIG. 47C, or before the workpiece is formed, as discussed inU.S. Pat. No. 7,163,030, incorporated herein by reference. End notches370 and 372 are also formed in the ends of the workpiece. The notchescorrespond to the corners of the rectangular flanged connection ring, asshown in FIG. 47E. When the workpiece is bent at the notches 368, theedges of the notched mating flange 384 and notched insertion flangeclose or join together to form closed corners. The corners can be weldedor otherwise held to retain their shape.

A further method of forming flanged connector 50 is illustrated in FIGS.48A-48C, wherein an annular disk-shaped workpiece 390 is placed betweena circular upper die 392 and circular lower die 394. The lower die 394is formed with a groove 396 corresponding to the exterior shape of seat58. The upper circular die 392 includes a male plunger section 398 thatis shaped and sized to engage within groove 396. The upper die alsoincludes an upper cavity 400 that is shaped and sized to correspond todie portion 402 of the lower die 394. As shown in FIG. 48B, when theupper die is engaged downwardly into the lower die 394, a circularflanged ring connector 50 is produced, as shown in FIG. 48C. It is to beappreciated that, rather than producing a singular flanged ringconnector 50, the die set shown in FIGS. 48A and 48B may be designed toproduce several flanged ring connectors at the same time in a singlepunching operation wherein the formed flanged ring connectors are nestedwithin each other.

FIGS. 49A and 49B illustrate the construction of a clamp 420 that can beused to engage over the outer perimeters of the flanged ring connectors,and in particular over the seat portions of the flanged ring connectorswhen in face-to-face relationship, whether the seat portions are used tohouse seals, reinforcing members, or both. One possible configuration ofthe clamp “in the flat” is shown in FIG. 49A, wherein transversetriangular sections 422 are cut or stamped along the length of the flatworkpiece 421. A connector tab 424 projects from one end of theworkpiece 421.

The flat workpiece 421 may be formed to the circular shape shown in FIG.49B by roll-forming, stamping, spin-forming, etc. Once the clamp 426 isshaped into the form shown in FIG. 49B, the edges formed by the cuttingof the triangular sections 422 from the workpiece close up against eachother to form a continuous sidewall structure 426. A flare or tab 428can be formed in the sidewall 426, to serve as a “lead-in” to facilitateengagement of the clamp 420 over the two flanged ring connectors to beheld in place.

As shown in FIG. 49B, the tab 425 corresponds to a similarly shaped seat430 formed in the opposite end of the clamp 422. Standard fasteners maybe utilized to connect the tab 425 to the seat 430. It will beappreciated that a seat per se need not be formed in the clamp 420, butholes may simply be formed in the clamp 420 corresponding to the holepattern of the tab 424.

FIGS. 50-52 pertain to various embodiments of flanged ring connectors500, 520, and 540 for connecting the adjacent ends of HVAC ducting 502,522, and 542, respectively. The flanged ring connectors 500, 520, and540 are similar in that they include insertion flanges 504, 524, and544, respectively, to engage within the interior of the ducting 502,522, and 542, respectively, and are of a shape corresponding to thecross-sectional shape of the ducting. The flange ring connectors 500,520, and 540 also include mating flanges 506, 526, and 546 extendinglaterally or transversely to the insertion flanges 504, 524, and 544,respectively. The insertion flanges have mating faces that are disposedin face-to-face relationship with the mating face of a correspondingflanged ring connector. The mating flanges have second faces on theopposite side of the mating flange, which faces the direction that theinsertion flange projects from the mating flange. Seals 508, 528, and548 extend around and are disposed on the outward circumferences of themating flanges 506, 526, and 546.

In FIG. 50, the seal 508 includes a circular or semicircular shaped bodyportion 510 with spaced-apart flaps or flanges 512 extending from thebody portion 510 to overlap the surfaces of the mating flanges 506. Theflanges 512 may be adhered or otherwise attached to the mating flangeportions 506 to securely hold the seals 508 in place. The seals 508 ofthe face-to-face mating flanges 506 compress against each other andprovide a secure seal between the interior of the duct 502 and theambient.

As discussed above with respect to the flange ring connectors shown inFIGS. 1-19, the flange ring connectors 500, 520, and 540 can be attachedtogether by various techniques, including by screws, bolts, or othertypes of hardware extending through and between adjacent mating flanges506, 526, and 546. Also, rather than being of a circular or semicircularshape, the body portions 510 of the seal 508 can be of othercross-sectional shapes, such as oval, rectangular, square, etc.Moreover, the seal 508 can be composed of various material compositions.For example, the seal may be composed of a natural or synthetic rubbermaterial that may be of solid construction or foam construction, or ofhollow or semi-hollow construction. The seal will need to be at leastsomewhat compressible so that the mating flanges 506, 526, and 546 canbe connected together in secure face-to-face relationship with eachother, with the compressed seal forming an airtight juncture between themating flanges 506, 526, and 546.

In FIG. 51, the seal 528 is generally rectangular in cross-section, witha slot 530 formed therein to closely receive the outer edge portion ofmating flanges 526. Such mating flanges can be attached to the seal 528with an adhesive or by other means. The material composition of the seal528 can be similar to that described above with respect to seal 508.Other than the shape of the seal 528, the flange connector 520 shown inFIG. 51 can be essentially the same as the flange connector 500 shown inFIG. 50.

FIG. 52 illustrates a flange connector 540 that is similar inconstruction to flanged connector 520. The flanged connector 540includes a semicircular or circular seal 548 that has a slot 550 formedtherein for receiving the mating flange 546 of the flange connector. Asin seal 528, seal 548 may be attached to the outer rim portion of themating flange 546 by a suitable adhesive or other expedient. Also, thematerial construction of the seal 548 may be similar to that of seals528 and 508.

It will be understood that the shapes of the seals 508, 528, and 548 aremerely exemplary, and as such, other cross-sectional shapes for theseals may be utilized.

While illustrative embodiments have been illustrated and described, itwill be appreciated that various changes can be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:
 1. A flanged ring connectorto join ducts in an HVAC system, the flange ring connector comprising:a. a first mating flange defining a first mating face, said first matingflange defining an outer perimeter portion and an inner perimeterportion; b. a first insertion flange extending laterally from the innerperimeter portion of the first mating flange, said first insertionflange having an inside surface and an outside surface, said firstinsertion flange having a sufficient length to allow fixed attachment tothe HVAC duct; and c. a first formed seat extending along the firstmating flange, said seat sized and shaped to receive one or both of thefollowing within the seat: (i) a seal to be disposed within and projectfrom the first seat beyond the first mating face; and (ii) a reinforcingmember disposed within the first seat to increase the structuralintegrity of the flanged ring connector.
 2. The flanged ring connectoraccording to claim 1, wherein the first seat is of a cross-sectionalshape selected from the group consisting of square, polygonal, oblong,rectangular, circular, partially circular, quarter-circular,semicircular, elliptical, oval, triangular, frusto-triangular, andV-shaped.
 3. The flanged ring connector according to claim 1, whereinthe first seat is at least partially open in a direction opposite to thedirection that the insertion flange extends from the mating flange toenable a seal disposed in the first seat to project from the firstmating flange in the direction opposite to the direction that theinsertion flange projects from the mating flange.
 4. The flanged ringconnector according to claim 1, further comprising a hem overlapping atleast a portion of the first seat.
 5. The flanged ring connectoraccording to claim 1, wherein the first seat is substantially closed incross-section to capture the reinforcing member therein.
 6. The flangedring connector according to claim 1, further comprising a second seatformed in the insertion flange to receive a second seal therein forbearing against the HVAC duct.
 7. The flanged ring connector accordingto claim 6, wherein said second seat is at least partially open toenable the second seat to project from the insertion flange toward theHVAC duct.
 8. The flanged ring connector according to claim 6, whereinthe second seat in cross-sectional shape is selected from the groupconsisting of square, rectangular, polygonal, V-shaped, triangular,truncated triangular, arcuate, curved, oval, oblong, semiround,partially circular, semicircular, and quarter-circular.
 9. The flangedring connector according to claim 1, wherein the first mating flange,first insertion flange, and first seat collectively form a singularstructure comprising a first flanged ring.
 10. The flanged ringconnector according to claim 1, further comprising: a second matingflange defining a second mating face, said second mating flange definingan outer perimeter portion and an inner perimeter portion; and a secondinsertion flange extending laterally from the inner perimeter portion ofthe second mating flange, said second insertion flange having asufficient length to allow attachment to a duct of a double-wall HVACduct.
 11. The flanged ring connector according to claim 10, wherein thesecond mating flange is disposed within the inner parameter portion ofthe first mating flange.
 12. The flanged ring connector according toclaim 10, wherein the first and second mating flange faces aresubstantially coplanar.
 13. The flanged ring connector according toclaim 10, wherein the second mating flange overlaps a portion of thefirst mating flange.
 14. The flanged ring connector according to claim10, wherein the second insertion flange and the second mating flange arecollectively formed as a single structure comprising the second flangedring.
 15. The flanged ring connector according to claim 1, wherein theduct(s) of the HVAC system are selected from a cross-sectional shape,including round, oval, square, rectangular, triangular, or rectilinear.16. The flanged ring connector according to claim 1, wherein the firstformed seat is located at a position selected from the group consistingof: (1) the outer perimeter portion of the first mating flange; and (2)intermediate of the outer perimeter portion and inner perimeter portionof the first mating flange.
 17. A flanged ring connector to joindouble-wall ducts in HVAC systems, the double-wall ducts having an outerduct and a separate inner duct disposed within the outer duct, theflanged ring connector comprising: a mating flange defining a matingface, said mating flange defining an outer perimeter portion and aninner perimeter portion; an inner insertion flange extending laterallyfrom the inner perimeter of the mating flange, said inner insertionflange having a length sufficient to allow for attachment to the innerduct of the double-wall duct; an outer insertion flange extendinglaterally from the mating flange at a location between the inner andouter perimeters of the mating flange, said outer insertion flangehaving a length sufficient for attachment to the outer duct of thedouble-wall duct; and a first formed seat extending along the matingflange, the seat sized and shaped to receive one or both of: a. a firstseal to project from the first seat outwardly of the mating face in adirection relative to the mating flange opposite to the direction thatthe insertion flanges extend from the mating flange; and b. areinforcing member to increase the section modulus of the flanged ringconnector.
 18. The flanged ring connector according to claim 7, whereinthe first seat is at least partially open to enable the first seal toproject from the mating flange in the direction relative to the matingflange opposite to the direction of the direction that the inner andouter insertion flanges project from the mating flange.
 19. The flangedring connector according to claim 17, wherein the first seat is of across-sectional shape selected from the group consisting of square,rectangular, polygonal, arcuate, partially circular, semicircular,quarter-circular, elliptical, oval, oblong, triangular,frusto-triangular, and V-shaped.
 20. The flanged ring connectoraccording to claim 17, further comprising a second seat formed in atleast one of the inner and outer insertion flanges to receive a secondseal therein for sealing against a corresponding duct(s) of thedouble-wall HVAC duct.
 21. The flanged ring connector according to claim20, wherein the second seat is at least partially open to enable thesecond seat to project from the insertion flange toward the HVAC duct.22. The flanged ring connector according to claim 17, wherein the secondseat is of a cross-sectional shape is selected from the group consistingof square, rectangular, polygonal, V-shaped, triangular, truncatedtriangular, arcuate, curved, semiround, quarter round, oval, elliptical,and oblong.
 23. The flanged ring connector according to claim 17,wherein the first formed seat is located at a position relative to themating flange, selected from the group consisting of: (1) the outerperimeter portion of the mating flange; and (2) intermediate the outerperimeter portion and inner perimeter portion of the mating flange. 24.The flanged ring connector according to claim 18, wherein thecross-sectional shapes of the outer duct and inner duct are selectedfrom a shape consisting of round, oval, square, rectangular, triangular,or rectilinear.
 25. A method of forming a flanged ring connector forconnecting ducts in HVAC systems, the flanged ring connector having amating flange with an outside perimeter portion and an inside perimeterportion, having an insertion flange extending laterally from the innerperimeter portion of the mating flange, and having a seat extendingalong the mating flange to receive one or both a seal and a reinforcingmember, said method comprising: a. beginning with a cylindrical metalband workpiece having an outward surface and an inward surface,deforming the metal band using pressure applied against the interiorsurface of the metal band at a location intermediate the ends of themetal band to deform the metal band to form the mating flange with aface extending laterally outwardly from the undeformed portion of themetal band, the undeformed portion of the metal band functioning as aninsertion flange; and b. deforming the mating flange to define a seatlocated along the mating flange, the seat shaped to receive one or both:i. a seal to project from the seat in a direction relative to the matingflange opposite to the direction that the insertion flange extends fromthe mating flange; and ii. a reinforcing member to increase the sectionmodulus of the flanged ring connector.
 26. The method of claim 25,wherein one or more of the deforming steps are carried out byspin-forming, roll-forming, bending, stamping, and/or punching theworkpiece.
 27. A method of forming a flanged ring connector forconnecting ducts in an HVAC system, the flanged connector having amating flange with an outer perimeter portion and an inner perimeterportion, an insertion flange extending laterally from the innerperimeter portion of the mating flange, and a seat extending around themating flange to receive either or both a seal and a reinforcing member,the method comprising: a. beginning with a workpiece in the form of astrip, forming a mating flange and a seat into the workpiece to achievea partially formed workpiece; and b. forming the partially formedworkpiece into a closed ring configuration to result in a mating flange,at least one insertion flange extending laterally from the matingflange, and a seat extending along the mating flange.
 28. The method ofclaim 27, wherein one or more of the forming steps are carried out byspin-forming, roll-forming, bending, stamping, and/or punching theworkpiece and/or partially formed workpiece.
 29. The method of claim 27,wherein the closed ring is in a shape selected from the group consistingof round, oval, ovoid, square, rectangular, rectilinear, or triangular.30. A flanged ring connector to join ducts in an HVAC system, the flangering connector comprising: a. a mating flange defining an outerperimeter portion and an inner perimeter portion; b. an insertion flangeextending laterally from the inner perimeter portion of the matingflange, said insertion flange having an inside surface and an outsidesurface, said insertion flange having a sufficient length to allow fixedattachment to an HVAC duct; c. wherein said mating flange defines amating face on the side of the mating flange opposite to the directionthat the insertion flange projects from the mating flange and a secondface on the side of the mating flange opposite to the mating face; andd. a compressible seal disposed about the outer perimeter portion of themating flange, said seal having portions overlapping and attached to themating flange mating face and mating flange second face.